2012 ELECTIONS: Tsai focuses on markets in late campaign push

‘REAL WORLD’:The DPP’s presidential candidate said visiting markets was the most unforgettable part of her campaign for New Taipei City mayor last year

By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, right, shakes hands with a vendor at a market in New Taipei City yesterday. Tsai plans to visit 1,000 markets and organize more than 40 rallies nationwide during the final 30 days of the presidential campaign.

Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) campaign team is scheduled to visit 1,000 local markets and organize more than 40 rallies nationwide during the final 30 days of the presidential campaign, the DPP said yesterday.

“Real life happens in local markets,” Tsai said on a morning visit to a market in New Taipei City (新北市) as she launched the campaign, which she said would mobilize staffers to visit local markets.

The DPP chairperson described visiting local markets as the most unforgettable experience in her campaign for New Taipei City mayor last year, when she visited more than 100 local markets.

“Local markets are a good place to convey my ideas and expectations for the election. The people in a market live in the real world,” Tsai said.

The campaign is expected to improve Tsai’s support rate among women, the DPP said.

The DPP is also planning to organize more than 40 rallies nationwide during the final 30 days of the campaign, as well as a national campaign activity “that will allow voters to voice their expectations, ideas and discontent,” campaign spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said.

Tsai’s itinerary this week is less intensive as she is preparing for the second and final televises presidential debate on Saturday, Hsu said.

After that, Tsai will be busy canvassing during the day and attending rallies at night until Jan. 13, the final day of the year-long campaign, she said.